Back in 2012, Korean singer Psy took the world by storm with his hit song "Gangnam Style." Global fans sang along to the lyrics "Oppan Gangnam Style," but at the same time may have wondered: "What in the world is Gangnam?"

The upcoming Disney+ series “Gangnam B-Side” takes place in one of Korea's busiest and most famous nightlife districts, Gangnam in southern Seoul, which director Park Noo-ri always thought of as being "a symbol of glamour."


The series will be released in eight episodes from Nov. 6. Two episodes will premiere each week. According to actor Jo Woo-jin, the series is poised to deliver a “satisfying punch,” unveiling the area's darkest secrets.

“I believe in order to gain such splendors, a dark side undoubtedly would exist alongside it. This intrigued me and raised questions about what stories are hidden behind the scenes, leading me to think that interesting stories would lie ahead," said director Park during the series’ press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday.

The series follows a detective, a prosecutor and a mysterious broker, each with their own motives, as they pursue Jae-hee, a key figure from a club in Gangnam who has disappeared. This leads them deep into a hidden dark side of the city.

Directed by Park, who took the helm of the film “Money” (2019) and also was the assistant director of the films “The Unjust” (2010) and “The Berlin File” (2013), the series features actors Jo, Ji Chang-wook, Ha Yoon-kyung and Kim Hyeong-seo, also known as singer Bibi.

The cast consists of Jo as detective Kang Dong-woo, Ha as prosecutor Min Seo-jin, Ji as the mysterious broker Yoon Gil-ho and Kim as the Gangnam nightclub figure, Jae-hee.

The series marks another collaboration between Jo and director Park, who previously worked together on the film "Money." The director shared that she had been waiting for a chance to work with the actor again.

“While working with him on ‘Money,’ I thought we meshed very well together, which led me to continuously think about working with him on a longer project,” the director said.

“Along with my trust in Jo as an actor, I had unwavering faith in him as a person as well, which made me decide to give the series’ main role to him without any hesitation.”

Jo portrays a just detective, but he also revealed that he and the director added another characteristic to his role — “an adult that we want to keep close.”

To capture that essence and embody a friendly and down-to-earth uncle-type figure, the actor gained 18 kilograms (39 pounds) based on the director's vision for Dong-woo to appear physically large and grounded.

“I've hit my highest weight since my senior year of high school,” the actor said, adding, “I think I've tried almost every gourmet burger joint in Gangnam.“

The director also revealed that Kim was the first person to be cast in the series, saying that she saw Kim as Jae-hee from the beginning.

“A long time ago, I was deeply moved when I saw Kim perform the song 'Letter' [2008] on an audition program,” director Park said. “I kept her in my heart, and when I heard the news that she was interested in pursuing acting, I reached out for a meeting during the early stages of script development.”

“We did a short reading together, and the moment Kim spoke her first lines, I knew she had to be Jae-hee. From that point on, I wrote the rest of the script with her in mind."

Ji’s character lives in the dark side of the city, which was something that inspired the actor to take on the role. To do so, he put more thought into the makeup and wardrobe of his character.

“I wanted this character to feel a bit unconventional when around others — perhaps even a little dangerous or strange,” he said. “That’s why I chose much more intense outfits from those that I usually wear.”

With its release quickly approaching, the director hopes the new series will be able to deliver both fun and meaning with its unstoppable storyline.

“I focused heavily on maintaining a fast-paced and dynamic flow,” director Park said. “I wanted to create a viewing experience where audiences wouldn't want to pause or even have a moment to take a bathroom break.”

“Throughout the first to last episode, the characters' relationships continuously evolve, blurring the lines between good and evil and making it impossible to predict what will happen next.”


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]